


OhmToonz Family Man AU

by imagine43



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Based off of Family Man with Nicholas Cage, Eventual Smut, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, Explicit Language, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, He gets better, Luke starts out as a complete asshole, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Original Character(s), The best Actor, reunited, waking up in another universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 08:14:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20255002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagine43/pseuds/imagine43
Summary: Luke Patterson was on his way to becoming the next chairman of Banana Bus Law, had a different date every night, and had all the money he could ever ask for. Everything was going his way until a mysterious stranger throws him into another version of his life. More specifically, a version of his life where he is married to his previous best friend and has two children. He wants to get out and get back to his previous life, but before he can, he must learn an important lesson. What lesson? He has absolutely no clue. For the time being, he's stuck in this suburban life, taking care of someone other than himself, working his dream job, and living with the person he has longed for his entire life. He must make a choice, which life does he truly want to live?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to post this! I've had this written for probably two years, but I haven't really thought it was complete until now. The plot is based off of the movie, "Family Man", which is actually a really good movie, especially due to the fact that it has Nicholas Cage in it. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious, or heck, even if you aren't curious. Let me know what you think!

\-------=Chapter 1=-------

“Promise me you’ll keep in touch, ya hear?” Luke says, giving his best friend a big hug.

“I promise, ok? Even if I don’t, I know you’ll make me! Especially with how boring it gets around here.” Ryan says, hugging back.

Luke pulls back and quirks his brow, “Oh, so _that’s _why you’re leaving me, eh?”

Ryan nudges his friend’s shoulder, “Oh, come on Luke, you know I hate this place! Isn’t Thomasville suffocating to you too?”

Luke lowers his gaze, “Yea, I guess so. But not while you’re here to entertain me! What am I going to do while you’re gone?”

The shorter of the two shoved his hands into his grey hoodie, “I’m sure you’ll figure something out, _Toonz_. Plus, I won’t be gone that long—I’m just going out to school, then I’ll make some money in the city before I come back and settle here. I’ll be back before you know it!”

Luke laughs, “Yea, if you say so, _OHM_.” he says, putting extra emphasis on his friend’s nickname, like he always does.

The two of them hear the announcement that Ryan’s plane will board in twenty minutes, and they look at each other with saddened eyes. “Well, I guess that’s my cue, I gotta get through security still.” Ryan says, adjusting the straps on his shoulder. He holds his arms out for another hug, which his friend happily accepts.

“I’m gonna miss you man. You’d better hurry back here as soon as possible, bitch!” Luke says, squeezing his friend once again.

“I’ll miss you too Luke. And I promise, it’ll be five years tops, and I’ll visit at least once every year!” Ryan says, pulling away to walk toward security.

His friend shouts out after him, “Go make me proud, you son of a bitch!”

Ryan turns around, walking backwards to shout back, “I will! You’d better make me proud too buddy!”

Luke smiles at his friend, giving him a thumbs-up, and gets one back in return. Then, Ryan turns around, and walks out of Luke’s sight for what he hoped would only be a short while.

He wants so badly to make him stay, to tell him that he loves him, but just can’t do it. He would rather just be friends than ruin everything and stop having any kind of relationship at all.

As soon as Ryan gets back, he’ll tell him—no matter how hard it is for both of them.

\--------=--------

10 YEARS LATER

\--------=--------

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Luke wakes up to a warm body beneath his arm, like he usually does. He turns off the alarm blaring in his ear, then shifts to look at who it is next to him this time.

“Good morning, uh…” he trails off.

“Victoria.” His bed guest says with a frown on her face.

“Right, Victoria. That was one hell of a night, wasn’t it?” Luke says, sitting up a bit to rest his cheek on his fist.

“Whatever, jerk. This is the fourth time we’ve been together, and you don’t even remember my name?” the woman says, throwing the covers off and standing up, still naked from the night’s events.

Luke raises his eyebrows at the pleasant sight, until he catches her eye and smiles.

“Pervert.” She says, grabbing her clothes and running into the bathroom.

Luke gets up and stretches, throwing on a fresh pair of boxer briefs before walking over to the window and opening the blinds. He looks out at the city that has become his own playground. It’s almost six AM, so he begins to get ready for another day of work.

Not too long after he gets his suit on and a watch to match, Victoria walks out of the bathroom in her dress from last night. Before she slams his door shut, she looks him in the eye and tells him, “It’s over.”

He chuckles to himself, “That’s what you said the last three times, bitch.” He puts on a pair of his tailored shoes and his favorite red tie before slipping out the door. He rides the elevator all 47 floors down from his rooftop suite to the lobby, where he greets the doorman.

“Good morning Marcel! How’s the sun shining on you today?” Luke says as he struts through the building.

“Very good sir! And yourself?” Marcel responds from his desk.

“As good as ever, my friend!”

Luke walks out the door, where he is met by his driver.

“Tyler, My man! Right on time, as usual.”

His driver, Tyler, smiles and opens the door for his boss, “Damn right, sir! And I even went on a little drive in my new Corvette Grand Sport this morning!”

“Very impressive, now, how about we get this show on the road?” Luke says, climbing in.

“Right away, sir.” Tyler says, shutting the door behind him and hopping around the car to the driver’s seat.

The drive takes about twelve minutes, ending when they reach a building labelled with a giant BB on the side. Banana Bus is one of the largest law firms in the city, and Luke is one of the greatest lawyers in the business, period. That’s what has earned him his high-rise apartment in the heart of the city and his beloved Lamborghini Aventador.

He climbs in the elevator and presses his desired floor, humming to himself the whole ride up. When he walks out, he is greeted by everyone there, including his good friend Jonathan, or as he likes to call him, Delirious.

“Delirious! How you doin’ bro?” Luke says, high fiving his long-time friend.

“Doin’ good Luke! You’re right on time—the big presentation is about to start!” Delirious high fives back, then ushers his friend and fellow lawyer into the conference room, where their big boss, Evan, was waiting.

“Good morning Luke, how are you today?” Evan says, stacking some papers on the large table.

“Doing very good sir, and yourself?” Luke says, as polite as he can.

“You know, just because I’m looking for someone to fill the available chairman position, it doesn’t mean you have to have a stick firmly shoved up your ass each time you talk to me. I heard you call Jonathan ‘bro’ a couple of seconds ago, so you aren’t fooling anyone.” Evan says, handing Luke a presentation packet.

“Well, it never hurts to try, now does it?” Luke answers, taking the packet and sitting to the right of the boss, Delirious on his other side.

Evan chuckles, “I suppose not. Anyways, now we can get started. Today, we have the opportunity to discuss one of the largest cases we have had in a while. It deals with the demolition of a museum, and the immediate building of a hotel in the museum’s previous lot. The reason that it is so big is that it has to do with passed ownership and unwillingness on the party’s part to demolish.”

Evan turns the page on his packet, and everyone follows suit before he continues, “Mr. Willingham had ownership of the museum, but in his will, it stated that the ownership be passed on to Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, his daughter. She refuses to allow his pride and joy to be demolished, though it has many structural and health code violations, and will not work with the company who wants to build the Hotel, Jenkins Construction. That is why they hired us—to take Jones down in court and allow them to build the hotel.”

Luke can’t help but ask, Iit seems like a pretty big deal, so I have to know… how much is this case worth?”

Evan smiles, “$14.6 million.”

An audible gasp fills the room, and Evan continues, “I worked out all the contracting and numbers with Brian, the CEO of Jenkins, this morning, and this is the official price. I had to talk them up a bit because I convinced them that we could certainly win the case, and the profits from the hotel would make up for every single penny that they paid us, and they bought it, on the condition that we get this done by a week from tomorrow.”

Luke and Delirious smile at each other, and Evan speaks again, “I know, the real question that is nagging at all of you is which of you is going to be the head honcho on this thing, right? Well, I would like everyone to congratulate Mr. Patterson, who will be the head attorney of this lawsuit.”

The room erupts into cheers, and Luke can’t hold back his smile as he stands up and waves around the room, taking a seat once again after a few moments of exaggerated fame.

“Alright Luke, here’s your time to shine, and to earn some _real _brownie points.” Evan winks, “I know you’ll do great.”

And with that, Evan walks out the door, leaving Luke with everyone he’s _in charge of_. It’s almost overwhelming, having his very first solo head position, especially with a case of this magnitude, but Luke keeps a level head, excited to finally have his shot. This also shows him that Evan really does trust him, and that maybe, just _maybe, _that promotion is a little closer in sight.

He snaps out of his thoughts to see everyone in the room looking at him expectantly for instructions, “Let’s get going people! Tad, Jerry, you guys are on demolition projections, Susan, Tommy, Mitchell, you guys work on finding out every bit of dirt you can on that place, and the guy’s daughter. Harry, I want you to check the numbers at least ten more times, and that means, Delirious, you’re with me, working on putting everything together into a solid case.”

Everyone in the room frantically scrambles, some getting back to their desks, most retrieving materials then returning to the conference room to work together. Luke walks back to his designated Desk, Delirious walking out with him. He pats his friend on the back and whispers, ‘congrats man’ before breaking off to talk to Evan.

Luke feels higher than the clouds, happy that things are finally going his way.

\-----------=-----------

On November 3rd, they are already on the fifth day of working on the case, leaving them only three more days before the actual trial. By 8 PM everyone in the office has called it a day, except for Luke and Delirious. The two of them sit in their shared office room, scribbling notes and flipping pages from the case-packet.

Eventually, Delirious stands up, “Well, I think that’s about it for me today, and I think you should probably call it too.”

Luke stretches before responding, “Well, I ain’t like you—I don’t have a wife and kids to go home to.”

Delirious shrugs, “It doesn’t have to be that way, y’know. I’m sure there are plenty of women, or men, out there for you man. And who knows, you might even want to start a family if you find the right one.”

Luke laughs, “Yea, right. I would rather throw myself off a cliff than have to deal with little snot-nosed demons.”

Delirious laughs too, “Damn, you certainly feel strongly about that I see! Though, it is hard to believe when you always go full dad-mode around my kids.”

“That’s because I don’t have to keep them! I just get to see them for the fun part, and not the whole, ‘taking care of’ part.”

Delirious nods, “True, but there’s just something about those little ‘snot-nosed demons’ that steals your heart. I don’t know how to explain it, but even despite them being high maintenance, and taking up most of the time that I have outside of work, I just love them so damn much.”

Luke smiles, “Well, I’m glad that you’re happy man, it’s just… that life just isn’t for me. I like this one, where I can have anyone I want, and we both get what we want without any attachments or long-term shit.”

Delirious sighs, “You know, from time to time, I get pretty envious of your lifestyle, but then I think about it, and I would die without wifelirious. I think I’ll just stick with the life I have.”

“Yea, you stick with your life, and I’ll just stick to my happy life. Then, we’ll see which one gets to throw that promotion onto their little list of happy things!” Luke says, walking around his desk to teasingly poke his friend all over.

“Yea, we’ll just have to wait and see bitch! You might be better at this shit than me, but Evan likes me more!” Delirious says, poking back.

Eventually, the two of them stop and pull each other into a bro hug, Delirious wishing his friend good night before walking out the door.

\------------=------------

About two hours after Delirious left, Luke hits a dead end, and finally decides that he should go home to get some sleep. He walks out to where he told Tyler to be waiting for him, who takes him home. Luke bids him goodnight and tells him to call it a day as well, who happily does, taking off down the road.

Luke waits in the elevator, stepping out once he got to his floor, and unlocks his door. He throws himself down on his bed, exhausted and stressed from the day’s events. He finally gets himself up and ready for bed, but by the time he actually climbs in his bed, he finds that he cannot fall asleep to save his life.

He decides that he wants to go for a short ride around town in his baby, and maybe that would help him get some things off his mind, at least for a while. He starts up his Lamborghini, smiling at the purr she gives.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when there is a knock on his passenger-side window. He could’ve sworn that he was the only one in the garage when he first got in. When he looks over, he sees a homeless man holding his jacket close to himself with one hand and his other extended outward.

“Do you happen to have any spare change sir? I need some money for my kids to be able to eat tomorrow.” The stranger says, a hopeful look in his blue eyes.

Luke can’t help but feel a little bad for the guy who must be absolutely freezing—winter in North Carolina is not a kind thing.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, retrieving a ten-dollar bill from within and handing it to the stranger. “Here you go man. Best of luck.”

The man smiles and accepts the money, “Thank you sir. Boy, I’m glad I caught you, or else my little angels wouldn’t have any food for yet another day.”

Luke nods and smiles back, then rolls his window back up, muttering under his breath as he pulls out of the parking garage, “You wouldn’t have that problem if you would’ve worn a condom, fucking idiot.”

Once he is out on the street, he realizes that he is one of the only people out, the streets virtually empty, except for that fucking jobless pan-handler. It makes sense that the streets are so empty though, seeing that it is currently 3:27 AM.

Eventually, he reaches a red light, and just takes a moment to let his anxiety out. He raises his hand to his face, covering his eyes, which have started to water up a bit, just thinking about all the stress he is under.

He snaps out of his thoughts and flails wildly when he feels a hand on his shoulder, and hears a voice say “there, there” from right next to him.

When he looks at the passenger seat, there is that same homeless man as before sitting _inside _his car. Luke racks his brain, trying to think of a way that he could’ve possibly caught up with him _and _got in his car without him noticing, but comes up empty-handed.

“What the hell!?” he yells, “Who are you? How the fuck did you get in my car? What do you want from me? I already gave you some money!”

The other man laughs, “Wow, how rude of me! My name is Bryce. Now, as for the money, I truly appreciate the ten measly dollars you gave me, _Luke Patterson, _multi-millionaire and all-around extraordinaire. I’m sorry, my request must’ve really drained your wallet, didn’t it? Man, I bet my life would really be better if I would’ve ‘worn a condom’, huh?”

Luke swallows hard, nervous from the statement he thought the other couldn’t hear being thrown back at him “Look, if you need more money to feed your kids—”

“I don’t want your money Luke. I’m here for something much, _much _more important. I’m here to open your eyes—change the way you think.” The man says, leaning toward Luke slightly.

Luke reaches for his phone, “Look man, if you don’t get out of my car right now, I’m calling the fucking cops.”

The man makes a ‘tsk’ noise, “I wouldn’t bother, I was just on my way out. I sure hope you are a little nicer the next time we meet, because you might not realize it yet, but you need me. Nice to officially meet you Luke!”

Luke speedily pulls his phone out of his pocket and unlocks it, looking over at the passenger seat to speak, but is astonished by what meets his eyes.

The seat is empty.

Now he is sure he’s going crazy. There is no possible way that the man could’ve opened his door and left that quickly _or _quietly.

Was it all a dream?

One way or the other, he knows that he needs to get some sleep as soon as possible. He speeds off, heading back to his apartment and climbing in bed. He quickly drifts off, his mind and body exhausted after the adrenaline wearing off.

He just hopes that he will forget about all of this in the morning.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of Luke's encounter with Bryce come to light, and Cartoonz has to come to terms with his new situation.

\----------= Chapter 2=----------

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

The beeping of his alarm clock wakes him up, and he finds himself next to a warm body, like he normally does.

Before he has the chance, an arm reaches over him and slams the alarm clock into silence, then the same arm falls onto his chest, draping itself across. However, when Luke opens his eyes, he notices something that is definitely _not _normal for him.

The arm belongs to a man.

He looks past the arm and sees that aside from the masculine appendage, there are many other things that are not normal as well. He is surrounded by tight, blue walls, as opposed to the sleek, grey walls of his own massive bedroom.

He starts to panic, no memory of how he got here coming to him. He turns his head to the side, afraid to see who he was currently in bed with. Though, what he sees slows the world around him and his heart flutters.

Ohm

Ohm is in bed with him.

The same Ohm from ten years ago, the same Ohm that took him six of those ten years to get over, the same Ohm that he never confessed his feelings to, and regretted it every single day after he left that one fateful year.

He can’t help but stare, and eventually, it becomes too much for him. He moves the arm from his chest as gently as he can and gets up from the bed. Ten years ago, it was his dream to have a moment like this with his best friend, but right now, his mind is so fuzzy from trying to make sense of how the hell this all happened, he has to get out of here.

He runs out of the room, trying his best to navigate his way through the house and to the front door. Once he reaches it, he runs out, still in his pajamas, which are something he never really had before, and looks around.

He finds that he is in a suburb, and parked in his driveway, he doesn’t find his car, or Tyler anywhere. Instead, he finds a minivan parked on the cement, covered in a light dusting of snow.

This can’t be real… it just can’t.

The last thing that he remembers, he was in his own bed, and now, he was here, with a man that he once loved, but had finally gotten over. And if that wasn’t enough to be unbelievable to Ohm, just add on that he woke up in a suburban neighborhood, with a fucking _minivan _as his only option for transportation.

He is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears the roar of a car engine coming down his street. When he looks up, he is met with the sight of his very own Lamborghini—the same colors and license plate and everything.

A wave of relief washes over him. Maybe he just got _really, really _drunk last night, called Ohm up, and ended up in his house… which happened to be in suburbia. Anyways, seeing his own car, he assumes that it’s Tyler, bringing him his car to pick him up and take him back home.

However, his relief is quickly diminished when the car pulls up and he sees who is in the driver’s seat.

“Hey Luke! How’s _this _life treating you so far?” the homeless man, or Bryce, says. Luke almost doesn’t recognize him, because of the fact that he is all cleaned up, and wearing a very fancy suit.

“You…” Luke manages to say. It’s hard to form a thought when all that is going through his head is ‘holy shit, it wasn’t a dream… holy shit, it wasn’t a dream’.

“Yup, it’s really me, your friendly neighborhood guardian angel, Bryce!” the young man says. “Now, I’ll bet you have quite a few questions, don’t you?”

Luke nods, still frozen in place.

“Well, I suggest you get in, then we can talk. We can go for a ride, and I promise, I will answer all the questions that I can. Now get in! You’ll catch a cold if you stand out there in only your boxers and t-shirt any longer!”

Luke complies, unsure of what else to do. He gets in and immediately asks, “Why the hell are you driving my car?”

“This isn’t your car anymore. That sexy little minivan in your driveway is your current vehicle of choice.” Bryce answers, pulling out of the cul-de-sac and onto the freeway, heading toward the city.

“What do you mean ‘my driveway’? I don’t live there, I live in Greensboro, in a high-rise apartment in the middle of the city! I don’t live in the suburbs!” Luke exclaims, flailing his arms in front of himself.

“No, maybe in your other life you did, but this is a different version of your life. In this life, you confessed your feelings to Ryan, and he stayed to be with you. Subsequently, you never moved to the city, never went to law school, and never started working for Banana Bus Law Firm.”

Luke can’t believe what he is hearing. He and Ohm are together? That’s a dream in and of itself, so there is no way that any of this is anything _but _a dream.

“Think again buddy, this is no dream—this is your new life. And it will remain your life until you learn the things that you need to learn.” Bryce says, scaring Luke.

“But… what the hell am I supposed to learn? I already had everything that I ever wanted, and I was finally working my way up the ladder! I even got my own—holy shit! I have to have that case done by next week! You have to take me home so I can get ready for work right now!” Luke shouts, remembering the major responsibilities that he has.

Bryce chuckles, “Sure, I’ll take you there, but I promise, not a soul in either buildings will know or care who you are.”

They drive into the city, finally reaching Luke’s apartment complex. Luke gets out of the car, “You’d better leave my car in the garage, or else I _will _call the police Bryce.” He says before jogging up the steps and into the building.

Once he walks through the doors, he greets his friend at the front desk.

“Hey Marcel! How goes it my friend?” he says, starting to take his usual path back to his room, until he is stopped by Marcel.

“Excuse me! where the hell do you think you’re going?” he says.

Luke laughs and turns around, walking toward the desk, “Yea, I guess I at least owe it to you to tell you where I was last night. It was the craziest shit ever, I don’t even remember how it happened, but I woke up in a stranger’s bed, in the fucking _suburbs_! That’s why I’m dressed like this, and I don’t have my clothes. Oh shit! That must mean I don’t have my keys! Can you help a bro out and lend me a spare until I get mine back?” he says, leaning on his friend’s desk.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises, or I will have you escorted out.” Marcel says, giving a blank look to Luke.

Luke is taken aback, “Damn, what the hell Marcel? Is this a joke?”

Marcel shakes his head, “I can assure you _sir, _this is no joke. Now, get the hell out of here.”

“Come on Marcel! What the hell did I do to you to make you this pissed? I thought we were friends!” Luke says, taking a small step back.

“Sir, I don’t know who the hell you are. If you don’t get your sorry ass out of here in ten seconds, I will call fucking security to drag it out of here.” Marcel threatens, standing up from his seat and leaning toward Luke.

“This is fucking outrageous! What the hell has gotten into you? It’s me, Luke Patterson! I’ve lived here for almost four years now! How could you just forget about me?”

“I told you man, I don’t know who the fuck you are. Security, if you could kindly get this asshole out of here, that would be greatly appreciated.” Marcel says into a walkie talkie. Seconds later, two guards walk from around the corner, and Luke gets that this isn’t a joke.

“Fine! I get it! You’re real funny Marcel! If this shit gets me in trouble at work, I’ll make sure to repay the favor to you!” Luke says, briskly walking out the door.

When he gets outside, he sees that Bryce is still sitting in his car, waiting for him. He hesitantly gets back in when he realizes that he doesn’t have his cell phone to call Tyler.

“Take me to my work, right fucking now.” He says, slamming the door closed.

“Whoa! Easy on my car! I’m guessing things didn’t go too well in there, huh?” Bryce says, pulling into the street and heading toward their destination.

“It isn’t your fucking car. And yea, Marcel was playing some stupid fucking joke on me, pretending that he didn’t even know me. I have no idea what I could’ve done to him to make him so fucking mad at me!” Luke pouts.

“I told you Luke, nobody in this city knows or cares who you are. To every person that you met and associated with after Ohm left in your other life, you don’t exist, because in this life, you never met any of them in the first place.”

Luke tries his best to ignore the annoying homeless, or former homeless, man. There is no way in hell that any of the things that he is saying can be true—it is literally impossible!

“Just take me to work.”

They pull up to the building, and Luke sprints into the building, taking the elevator to his floor. He is so embarrassed to only be wearing his boxers, but he doesn’t have any other option right now. Once he makes it to his floor, he runs straight into his office, shocked by the sight before him.

Delirious is sitting at the desk, and on the desk, his nametag reads “Jonathan Smith: Senior Chairman”

He walks up, grabbing the attention of his friend, “Damn! I’m twenty minutes late to work because Marcel is a fucking dick and won’t let me in, so they give the promotion to _you?_” Luke says, trying not to be angry.

“I’m sorry, who the hell are you?” Delirious says, putting his stack of papers down.

“Oh, come on, not you too Delirious! Did I just piss everyone in this city off?” Luke gets a blank look from his friend, so he continues, “Ok, I’ll play along. I’m Luke Patterson, your best friend, your partner in nearly every case since we graduated law school together and joined Banana Bus at the same time. Your best friend who introduced you to your wife, and has gone to every birthday party your kids have had since they were born. Ring any bells?”

His friend just laughs, “You must have the wrong guy then. I’m not married, and I certainly don’t go by ‘Delirious’. Are you high or something?”

Luke’s heart sinks. If Delirious truly doesn’t recognize him, and if he wasn’t married because Luke wasn’t there to introduce him to his wife, then maybe Bryce isn’t lying after all. The gravity of the situation hits Luke full-force, and he can’t hold back the resulting tears.

“Jonathan, I can’t take any more shit today. If this is all a joke, you need to tell me right now, do you understand? I am sick of this bullshit! First Marcel, and now you too? Please, just tell me this is all a joke that you guys orchestrated together.” Luke pleads, hoping that his friend would burst out in laughter, teasing his long-time friend for crying in his underwear in their shared office.

However, this is not the case.

“I’m sorry man, but I honestly have no idea who you are. I will have to ask you to leave though, I’m sure you understand.” Jonathan says, gesturing to the door.

Luke wipes his tears and nods, making his way back to the elevator and going back down, too distraught to care about the stares that people were giving him now. He walks out of the building and climbs back into the car with Bryce, unsure of what to do next.

“So… this is really real, isn’t it?” he finally says, looking Bryce in the eye.

“This is as real as it gets. Sooner or later, you’ll get used to it.” the blue-eyed man says.

“I don’t want to get used to it! I want my old life back! I want my friends back, I want my job back, and I want my fucking car back!” Luke says, more tears sliding down his cheeks.

“Now, now, there’s no reason to pout. This is happening for a reason, and you are truly blessed to have an opportunity like this! I’ll bet there are millions of people out there who would _love _to have an me to help them!” Bryce says, pulling out of his space in front of the BB building and getting back on the road.

“Why would anyone want this? I was happy before!”

Bryce shakes his head, “You _think _you were happy. You don’t know what true happiness is—happiness from the heart, rather than from the wallet. That’s what the purpose of this whole thing is—to show you how happy you could’ve been, had you just followed your heart all those years ago and confessed your love to Ohm.”

Luke sighs, “I didn’t confess to him because neither of us were gay, and I was so afraid that he wouldn’t want me back. I didn’t want to lose what we had.”

Bryce chuckles, “Fat lot of good that did! You two haven’t talked for _ten years_! I would say you pretty much lost ‘what you had’. Plus, as you will come to learn through this experience, Ohm obviously didn’t turn you down when you _did _confess.”

The words make Luke perk up a bit. It was true, the other man obviously didn’t turn him down, and they were together, even _ten years after _he must’ve confessed, so that must mean that he felt the same way all that time!

Bryce can tell by the smile on the other man’s face that he finally put two and two together, so he proceeds to drive toward the house where his true love was waiting.

Once they pull up, Luke is apprehensive to get out. “What if I hate it here? What if I truly want my old life back?”

Bryce smiles, “Well, that’s the beauty of this whole experience—you aren’t stuck here forever! Once you learn your lesson, I’ll be back to return you to your real life, before it’s too late. This is really just a glimpse at what you could’ve had, so it isn’t permanent in any way.”

Relief washes over Luke, “So, once I learn stuff, I can get the hell out of this life?” Bryce nods, and Luke continues, “But, what am I supposed to learn? You never told me what to do!”

Bryce giggles, “You wouldn’t learn if I told you everything you had to do! Now get out of my car!”

Luke glares at the skinny fucker, but gets out all the same. He turns to look at the house, and turns to ask Bryce another question. Though, when he turns toward the car, it, and its driver, both have disappeared.

So, Luke is on his own now.

Shit.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit longer than the previous ones, so I hope that is a good thing for you guys. There is some realizations, conflict, and a lot of confusion in this one. We finally meet Ohm and the kids! I hope ye enjoy!

\------------= Chapter 3=------------

When Luke walks inside the house, he is immediately trapped by a pair of strong arms, and squeezed extremely tightly.

“Jesus Christ Luke! I was so worried! Where the hell were you!?” the man says, squeezing even tighter still.

Luke pulls out of the hug and looks the man in the eyes. He knows those hazel eyes anywhere.

Holy shit, it really is Ohm. He’s a little bit thicker than he was ten years ago, but other than that, Luke can easily tell that it’s the same man.

“Ohm… I…” Luke trails off, at a complete loss for words. He still cannot believe that the man who he had dreamed about for so long was really here, in _their _home.

The hazel-eyed man smiles up at him, “Did you just call me Ohm? I haven’t heard you call me that for _years._ What’s going on with you Luke?”

“I… Ohm, this is going to sound crazy, but—”

He is cut off by the sound of shouting and thudding coming from the staircase. He can hear shouts of “Daddy! Daddy!” coming from the hallway, and his eyes blow wide.

He is jumped by two little kids, one girl and one boy, both latching onto his legs and waist. He doesn’t know how to react, so he just stands still, looking at Ohm with confusion and terror in his eyes.

Ohm gives a nervous chuckle, “Aren’t you going to hug your kids back babe?”

If Luke’s eyes weren’t fully-blown before, now they must be popping out of his head. “K-kids?” he wheezes out, nearly passing out on the scene. Bryce may’ve forgot to mention the tiny little detail that he HAS TWO FUCKING CHILDREN.

He’s going to kill that little bastard.

He hastily pats the kids on the back, trying to coax them off of him. Eventually, he pries them off and mutters, “Hey… kids, I need to Ohm, er, Ryan for a second, ok?”

Ohm gives him a ‘what the hell?’ look, as Luke drags him into a separate room. He sits Ohm down and begins to pace the floor, unsure of where to start.

“Ohm, I need you to hear me out, ok? Just listen to what I say first, then you can be mad, alright?” Luke says, trying to calm himself down.

Ohm nods frantically, “Of course Luke, you can tell me anything, what is it? You’re scaring the hell out of me, and the kids for that matter!”

Luke gathers his thoughts before speaking, “Well, it sounds crazy, but this isn’t… my life. I have no memories of being here ever before. I don’t know who those kids are, and I certainly don’t remember how you and I became a thing. The last thing that I remember between you and me is being in that airport when you wanted to leave Thomasville.”

Ohm is blinking quickly with his brows knit together, trying to process what Luke just said. “So… you’re telling me that you don’t remember us getting married? Adopting April and Nick? None of it?”

Luke shakes his head furiously, “No! I really don’t! I have no idea what to do…”

Ohm stands up and hugs his husband tightly, “It’s ok, it’s ok. We’ll make it through this together Luke. Do you want to go to the doctor and see what they have to say? Do you think you have some kind of amnesia or something?”

Luke shakes his head again, “No, it’s a bit more complicated than that. it’s… I have no idea how to explain it to you.”

Ohm nods, “Ok… well, right now, I have to get the kids to school, but after I get home, we can talk, ok?” he says, kissing Luke on the cheek and hugging him before walking out the door.

Luke, unsure of what else to do, sits down on the bed, looking at the pictures on the nightstand next to it. there is a picture of him and Ohm kissing, and it brings a smile and a faint blush to his face. There is photo after photo of him and Ohm with their kids, doing different things in each of them. In one, they are playing in the snow, in another they are all laying in a pile of leaves in a circle, which Luke finds is his favorite.

He searches the room a bit, seeing photo albums sitting on the bookshelf in the corner. He pulls them out, looking through them, absorbing all the information they gave. He doesn’t even realize how much time passes, too caught up in the pictures to pay attention to the time.

The current album he is flipping through has pictures of him and Ohm at their wedding, and it brings tears to Luke’s eyes. He wishes so badly that he was there for that, _truly _there for it, rather than just have photos of someone who looks like him there.

Ohm looks so handsome in all of the pictures, like he always has. His perfect brown hair spiked up in the front, a short, well-kept beard to match. His bright eyes shining in each of the photos, and Luke is always right next to him, just like old times. The only difference being that it wasn’t just friendship in any of these photos, it was love that had them that close together.

Ohm walks in, and finds Luke on the floor, photos and albums scattered all around him. He quickly drops down next to him, looking at the photos with him. “Are any of these triggering your memories?” he asks, hope evident in his voice.

Luke shakes his head, “No, I don’t have amnesia. What happened to me is even crazier than that, but you have to trust me, ok?”

Ohm nods, so Luke continues.

“This isn’t my life. I might be the same person, but _my_ life is completely different from this one. I was sent to this life by a weird guy named Bryce, who claimed to be my guardian angel. He told me that I need to learn something before I can return to my real life, in which I am a multi-millionaire and one of the top lawyers in the city, the soon-to-be chairman of Banana Bus Law Firm.”

Ohm slowly nods, trying to be as supportive as possible, “So… what you’re saying is that… in your ‘other life’, me and the kids don’t exist?”

Luke nods, “Yea, kind of. I mean, I honestly have no idea where you are in my real life. I haven’t talked to you in ten years.”

Ohm blinks, “Wait, so we don’t even talk? Why not?”

Luke sighs sadly, “Remember when you wanted to leave Thomasville?” Ohm nods, “Well, in my real life, you actually did. You left, and I moved to the city, where I went to law school and got super successful, and you went your separate way as well. After that, we just… didn’t talk. I don’t really know why.”

There is a silence between them before Ohm musters up the courage to talk, “Luke… I want to believe you, but you have to see how this looks to me, right? You sound like a crazy person right now! I don’t know if you’re having an episode, or if you just had a really intense dream, but I’m really worried for you! You went missing this morning, completely gone, out of the blue, all while the car was still here! I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I want to help you, ok?”

Luke nods, he knew this wouldn’t go over so well, especially with how logical Ohm has always been. He knew there was no way that he could ever believe him.

“Now, I have to go to work. They’ve been expecting me for a bit now. I’ll swing by your work and tell them that you can’t come in today because you aren’t feeling well. Just, for now, stay home and try your best to remember anything that you can. I promise, when I get home, I will do everything I can to help, ok?”

Again, Luke nods, so Ohm smiles. “Ok, I will see you when I get home then.” Ohm says, kissing Luke on the cheek once again, and bidding him farewell before walking out the door.

Luke listens for the car to start, then pull out of the driveway, and decides that he needs to figure out as much as he can while he is home alone. He inspects every inch of the house, finally deciding to settle at the computer in the kitchen for his answers. He finds even more photos, and looks through all of the albums.

He watches videos of when they first got their kids, who are apparently twins, and brought them home for the first time. In the video, they are probably less than a year old, and despite his efforts, Luke feels his heart melt at the sight of them.

He proceeds to watch videos of the kids, doing various things like playing T-ball, and dancing with Ohm and Luke. He gets caught up in watching videos and looking at pictures of their kids, which seem to be never-ending. There is a video of all of them on vacation at Disneyworld, and it all seems so fun to Luke. Before he can dwell any longer on _that _disturbing thought, that perhaps having kids wasn’t so bad, he quickly closes out of the album in search of another.

His breath stutters when he finds the album called ‘Honeymoon’. He opens it up instantly, flipping through picture after picture. There are photos of him and Ohm kissing, as well as one taken by him of the two of them lying in bed together, Ohm fast asleep next to him.

He finds another album that is called ‘Happily Ever After: Luke and Ryan Wedding Nov 7th, 2009’.

They got married in 2009? That was eight years ago, so that means that they got married exactly two years after Luke confessed to him that day. he opens the album, and finds videos and photos that light up his eyes. He clicks on the first video, turning up the sound on the computer.

The video starts out with Luke and Ohm standing side by side, both holding champagne glasses in their hands. Then, Luke speaks,

_“Ladies and Gentlemen! All of you take a damn seat, I have something to say about this beautiful man standing next to me.” _the whole room goes quiet, “_Now, as you all know, I have known this son of a bitch for nearly my whole life, and for about 90% of that time, I was madly in love with him, but I was too afraid to say anything. I didn’t want him to end what we _did _have all because I couldn’t control my own emotions.”_

Luke pauses_, “One day, this guy must’ve decided that he had waited too long for me to sack up, and figured that there were bigger, better things out there for him. On November 7th, 2007, he was all packed up, ready to go, but I sure as hell wasn’t ready for that. It took nearly losing the man that I loved to realize that life is short, and that you need to do the important things before it’s too late. That day, I finally confessed how I felt, right as he was about to leave me.”_

Ohm took over, cutting into Luke’s speech, _“And I thank God every day that he did, or else he would’ve never known that I had felt the same way about him all along. The reason that I was leaving the town of Thomasville in the first place was because I couldn’t hold my feelings back any longer, and like Luke, I was afraid of ruining what we did have. I guess we were both just too blind to realize that we both felt the same things for each other the whole time that we were dancing around each other.”_

The two of them kiss, and the video ends. Luke clicks on another video, and it shows him and Ohm slow-dancing to their favorite songs. Luke feels something warm and wet hit his hand, and when he looks down, he notices that there were tears falling from his eyes.

He speedily wipes them away, getting up from the computer and walking away. What was the point of all of this? Luke knows that there was apparently something that he is ‘supposed to learn’, but what does it matter if he and Ohm have already lost everything that they had ten years ago? People change, and if Ohm had changed to be anything like Luke, then there was no chance that he would ever want to be with Luke like they are in this life.

Plus, as nice as this all may seem, Luke knows that he is _not _cut out to be a dad—for the past ten years, he has done nothing for anyone but himself, never having to take care of anyone, not even a dog! There is just no way that he can suddenly become a good dad, or even that he _wants _to become a good dad.

He has always hated the thought of having children, yet here he is, with _two of them, _twins no less! What the hell were he and Ohm thinking?

As if on cue, the door swings open, followed by the sound of children’s voices flooding the whole house.

“Daddy! We’re home!” he hears the girl say.

“U-uh, that’s great, honey! H-how was your day…?” Luke says, greeting them at the door, already having forgot their names. “April! Yea! How was your day April?”

The young girl folds her arms, “You aren’t my real dad, are you?”

Luke swallows hard, “Um, what makes you say that?”

“Because, dads don’t forget their kids’ names, duh!” the other kid, Nick, says, standing next to his sister and matching her pose.

“When is our dad coming back?” April asks in a huff.

Luke knows he’s doomed, so he folds, “Fine, you got me. I’m here to replace your dad for a little while, and he can only come back when I can get out of here. So, I need your guys’ help with knowing what I have to do and all that kind of stuff, so I can get out of here faster, and your daddy can come back, ok?”

The siblings look each other in the eye and nod to each other, “Deal, we’ll help you out so we can get our daddy back, but first, you have to do something for us.”

Luke nods, happy that he was finally going to get some help, even if it was from a couple of seven-year-olds.

\------------=-------------

When Ryan walks into his home, he is met by the sight of complete and total chaos.

There are pasta noodles thrown around the room, and Luke is throwing them at the kids, who are throwing them back. The room is filled with smoke laughter, the latter ceasing once Ryan walks in, “What the heck is going on in here!?”

Luke freezes, and straightens himself, “Um, I promised the kids that I would make spaghetti for them tonight.”

Ryan is truly at a loss for words, “So, that’s why the house is filled with smoke and there are messes everywhere? Since when have you messed up making spaghetti?”

Luke rolls his eyes, “Let me guess, normally I’m an amazing chef?” of course he would be the world’s most perfect guy in this universe.

“No, I never said that, in fact, you’re pretty terrible at it.” Luke sighs in relief until the words sink in and he mutters a ‘hey!’. Ohm continues, ignoring Luke’s protesting, “However, Spaghetti is your signature dish, since it’s the only thing you actually know how to make.”

Luke rolls his eyes, “Ha-ha, very funny. If I remember correctly, you’re a pretty terrible cook as well, _Ohm!_” Luke says, throwing a noodle as he emphasizes his nickname.

Ohm stands there, frozen with shock for a moment, until he takes the noodle off of his face and holds it out in front of himself, just inspecting it.

“Uh-oh, daddy’s in trouble!” Nick says in an accusing, sing-song voice.

Luke just stands there, hoping that Ohm isn’t too mad at him.

“So, that’s the game you wanna play, huh Luke?” Ohm says, looking from the noodle to his husband. He throws the noodle back, running into the kitchen and grabbing a handful from the pot, throwing them at Luke and the kids.

The fight continues full force, the sound of laughter permeating every inch of the home. The food fight goes on for another couple of minutes, until they are all breathing heavily, and there are no noodles left.

Luke refuses to clean up the nasty mess, so Ohm and the kids clean up and Luke sets about making another pot of noodles. When the cleaning is done, Ohm helps him in the kitchen, cooking the sauce and throwing some meatballs in.

“You seem a lot better than you were this morning, what helped you out?” Ohm says, stirring some spices into the sauce.

“I don’t know, I think the kids just really helped me out.” Luke says, trying to convince Ohm that he was ‘back to normal’, and that he wouldn’t be worried anymore.

“Well, whatever the case, I’m glad you’re doing better Luke.” Ohm says, pecking Luke on the cheek, who turns and smiles in response.

The family eats dinner once it is finished, the kids sharing the stories from that day at school. They all make pleasant conversation until it is determined that it’s time for bed. The twins take their plates to the sink and go into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

Ohm looks at Luke, “I took them to school today, so it’s only fair that you’re on bedtime duty.”

Luke sighs, “Yea, whatever you say, Ohm.”

He follows them into the bathroom, not sure of what to do. April hands him her toothbrush, “You have to put the toothpaste on our toothbrushes and help us brush.”

Luke nods, “Oh, ok. Thanks Amber.”

“April!” his daughter corrects him.

“Right, April.” He takes the toothbrush and puts some toothpaste on, doing the same for Nick’s toothbrush as well. He watches with slight disgust as the two sloppily brush their teeth incorrectly. He hesitantly intervenes, taking hold of Nick’s toothbrush handle and moving it around in his mouth. He instructs him to spit, having to look away due to his germophobic nature, then does the same thing for April.

Eventually, they finish up getting ready, and Luke follows them up to their shared room, where he helps them change into their PJs and tucks them into bed. Before he leaves, he leans into the room and whispers, “How’d I do for my first bedtime duty?”

“Not too bad fake daddy. Though, our real daddy usually gives us kisses before he leaves.” Nick says clinging to his stuffed teddy bear tightly.

Luke cringes slightly, “Do I have to do that?”

“No, that’s ok. We can wait for kisses from our real dad when he gets back.” April answers matter-of-factly.

Luke smiles and nods, “Ok, sounds good to me.” he turns off the lights, “Oh, and by the way, thanks for your help today guys.” He says, leaving once the twins smile back at him in response.

Luke makes his way to his own room, where Ohm is changing into pajamas already. Luke blushes furiously when he catches sight of Ohm’s slightly chubby, yet toned, torso, following his V-line to the hem of his pants, which rests lowly on his hips.

Ohm smiles at him, “Like what you see big guy? You act like you haven’t seen me naked before.”

Luke clears his throat, “Uh, it just never ceases to amaze me how beautiful you are.” He manages to say, not lying in any sense.

Ohm smiles even larger, walking past Luke to get to their shared bathroom. Luke quickly changes as well, waiting on the bed for Ohm to leave the bathroom. While he is changing, he notices that he has a lot more of a belly than he has in his real life. Maybe in this life, he just didn’t care about working out, unlike how he actually is in his real life.

He is more nervous than ever, knowing that he and Ohm are going to share a bed together. It might not be a big deal for Ohm, seeing as it is a nightly event for him, and has been for eight years, but for Luke, this will be the first time that he has ever shared the bed with a man. The fact that Ohm is the man that he is going to share with is even more nerve-wracking.

Finally, Ohm walks out, and Luke immediately walks in after him, shutting the door firmly behind him. Any amount of time he can buy himself before having to face his current issue is good to him. He rinses his face off, trying to get a hold of himself.

He finishes brushing his teeth and walks out of the bathroom, immediately being tackled to the bed.

“Ohm what the hell?” Luke says, completely caught off guard by the surprise attack.

“I don’t think we ever properly decided the victor of the spaghetti fight, wouldn’t you say?” Ohm says, wrestling with Luke on the bed.

Luke smiles, “No, I guess we didn’t, _Ohm_.” He wrestles back, eventually losing the upper hand and flipping the shorter man onto his back, beneath him. “Looks like I win, don’t I Ohm?”

Suddenly, Luke finds himself on his back instead, the warm body belonging to his best friend hovering over his own. “No, I don’t think it looks that way at all, Toonz.”

Luke smiles at his old nickname. “I can’t believe you remember my nickname after all this time.” he says, his arms pinned to the pillows on either side of his head.

“Yea, same. Once you said my old nickname though, it just came back to me.” Ohm answers, wiggling his hips, which are straddling Luke’s. He slowly leans down, his lips meeting Luke’s warmly. They make out for a little while, only breaking when they run out of air.

Luke swallows hard, completely overjoyed at the fact that he finally kissed the man that he once loved, that he has always loved. “Um, do we do this often?” He asks, a little flustered.

Ohm giggles, “What, wrestle? No, we don’t usually do this.”

Luke sighs, “No, not wrestle, I mean, I guess you could technically call it that, but I mean do we regularly, y’know, get intimate?”

Ohm gives him a mischievous look, “Oh! You mean fuck? Yea, we do that as much as we possibly can. Wait, is that what’s happening? I had no idea.” He feigns ignorance, successfully teasing Luke.

Luke rolls his eyes and smiles, “Come on Ohm, stop being a punk.”

“There it is again—you keep calling me that, and it really turns me on. It reminds me of when we were younger and dumber, when we had a higher libido.” Ohm chuckles, leaning back in to kiss Luke once again.

“I treat you right, don’t I?” Luke asks in between kisses, truly curious as to the answer.

“Of course you do baby. What makes you ask that?”

Luke shrugs, “I guess, I just want to make sure you’re happy is all. I just think back to all those times that I wanted you, back when we were young, but I was so convinced that I could never be good enough for you… that you deserved better.” ‘_which is why I never confessed’_, he thinks to himself.

Ohm immediately pulls back to look Luke in the eyes, “How could you possibly think that? You’re everything I have ever wanted and more. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better husband if I tried.”

Luke feels tears prick at his eyes, “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear Ohm… thank you.”

Ohm smiles and leans down to kiss him once again, trailing his lips along his jaw and neck. Before long, Luke starts to realize what exactly he is doing. He’s about to have his first time with Ohm, who isn’t really Ohm. If he had sex with Ohm in this life, then it wouldn’t be as special once he got back to the real world.

“Ohm… Ryan… I don’t think I can do this.” Luke says, lightly shoving Ohm off of him.

Ohm pulls away, confusion clear on his face, “Since when do _you _not want to have sex? What’s going on Luke?”

Luke sits up and shrugs, “I don’t know man, I just… I feel like it should be more special.”

Ohm looks taken aback, “What do you mean ‘more special’? Am I not special enough for you anymore?”

Luke furiously shakes his head, “No! That’s not what I mean at all Ryan! I just… I have no idea how to explain it to you without sounding completely mental.”

Ohm puts his hands up, “You know what? Save it. The mood is gone anyways, and quite frankly, I don’t need to hear your bullshit. Let’s just go to bed and forget about this, ok?”

Luke knows that he fucked up, “Ohm, I am so sorry, honestly—”

“Goodnight Luke, I’ll talk to you in the morning.” Ohm says, getting under the covers and facing away from Luke.

Luke knows his friend well enough to know that he wasn’t going to make any progress while he was in this mood, so he resigns to just go to sleep and attempt to fix his fuck-up in the morning.

“Goodnight Ryan.” He pauses for a moment, “I… I love you, and I always have.”

Silence remains until it is broken by Ohm, who sends a somewhat hasty “I love you too” back to Luke. Luke smiles, happy that he at least doesn’t _completely_ hate him right now.

Maybe he _can _fix this tomorrow.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke finds out where he works and finds out that an important day is coming up.

\-----------= Chapter 4=-----------

When Luke wakes up, he is still slightly caught off guard by his surroundings, only remembering where he was after a few moments. He turns to see if Ohm really did sleep next to him last night, and sure enough, the beautiful man was laying at his side, having cuddled up against Luke in the night, which Luke found _incredibly _adorable.

He gently cards his fingers through Ryan’s hair, amazed at how soft it is. He trails his hand down the side of Ohm’s face, landing it on his warm, pink cheek. The man starts to stir, reaching his hand up to rest on top of Luke’s. His big, hazel eyes open slowly, and he looks Luke in the eye.

He smiles, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Luke says, smiling back. He is relieved that Ohm didn’t say anything about the incident last night, hoping silently that he had forgotten all about it.

However, it seems that his hopes are for naught.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook yet mister, you still have some making-up to do.” Ohm says, getting out of their bed.

Luke lets his head drop, “Yea, I kinda figured. What do you want me to do for you?”

Before Ohm can answer, the two twins come running into their room, hugging Ohm around the legs.

“Good morning kiddos! What do you guys want to eat today?” Ohm says, hugging them back, then leading them out of the room and into the kitchen. Luke follows, trying his best to listen for an answer.

However, he is stopped by Ohm before he even makes it into the kitchen. “Luke, why don’t you get ready for work while I get the kids ready, then we can swap once you’re done and all leave together.”

Luke nods and turns around, going back into their room and looking in the closet for a nice suit. He puts on the nicest one that will fit him, though it is a bit tight in areas. He walks out once he is sure that he has his phone with him, even though he has come to find that he doesn’t know 90% of the contacts on it.

He enters the kitchen where his kids are eating and Ohm is packing their lunches. When Ohm looks up at him, he instantly knows that something isn’t right.

“Why are you wearing your wedding tux?” Ohm asks, walking around the counter.

Luke’s eyes go wide, _this _was his wedding tux? It looked more like a shabby second-hand suit than what he would ever wear on the most important day of his life! How meager were their means that they couldn’t even afford a nice tux when they got married? Luke is finally starting to see the difference that money makes. “Um, I just wanted to prove that I still fit in it.”

Ohm laughs, “Yea, not too well though! Now hurry up and get ready, we don’t have all day!”

Luke gets nervous, “Um, what do _you _think I should wear today?”

Ohm thinks for a moment, “I think you should wear your red one with your Lee’s. You always look so nice in that.”

Luke gets even more nervous when he realizes that he has no idea what Ohm is talking about. “Uh… do you think you could help me find them?”

Ohm sighs and guides him back into the room, “Do I have to do everything for you?” he looks in their dresser, pulling out a tight red long-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. “Here, now get ready. I’m gonna finish getting April and Nick ready, then you can take them out to the car while I’m getting ready.”

Luke quickly slips the clothes on, carefully hanging the wedding tux back up, then heads out to the kitchen, letting Ohm go get ready. When Ohm walks out, he is wearing a black polo with a nametag and a pair of khakis.

Ohm ushers all of them out to the car, getting in the passenger seat. Luke walks out and gets in the driver’s seat, only to remember that he has no idea where he is going. He turns to Ohm, “Uh, maybe you should drive today.”

Ohm gives a shocked and confused look before getting out and swapping seats, “First, that thing last night, and now this? You barely ever let me drive, what’s gotten into you?” Ohm asks, pulling out of the driveway and into the road.

“I just figured that you would want to drive today, that’s all.” Luke says, trying to look casual by staring out the window, but only further increasing Ohm’s curiosity.

He drops it for now though, not wanting to start anything in front of their kids. He will definitely have to talk to him once they all got home though.

Luke turns back to Ohm, “So, how’s the schedule looking today?”

“Well, these guys have school until 4:00pm, like they always do, and I pick them up on my way home from work, since you won’t be home to greet them after they get off the bus. What time do you think you’ll get home tonight?”

Luke has no idea what to say, so he turns to look at his kids for some help. They are holding up the number six on their hands, so that’s what Luke goes with. “Um, probably sometime around six, so long as work doesn’t keep me longer.” He says, turning to look back at his kids, who are giving him thumbs-up. Damn, those kids are smart.

“Ok, just text me when you’re done, and I’ll come pick you up. What do you guys want for dinner?” Ohm asks, looking in the rear-view mirror at the twins.

“Pizza!” they both shout in unison.

Luke laughs, “Well, I guess that settles that!”

Ohm chuckles too, “Yea, I guess so. We can get some on our way home when I pick you up.”

With that, they continue on with their car ride, the kids telling stories and asking questions the whole ride, up until they are dropped off at the school. They rush out of the car, waving at Luke and Ohm before clasping hands and running toward the building.

Luke dreads the silence that fills the car once the kids leave, and thinks of anything he can say to break it. Before he even has the chance, Ohm speaks first.

“I can hear you thinking over there.”

Luke blushes, Ohm knows him too damn well. “I’m just trying to think of a good way to make it up to you. Have any ideas?”

Ohm gives a sideways glance, “Well, I _might _be willing to let you off the hook if you give me a killer anniversary gift tomorrow.”

Luke’s eyes blow wide, tomorrow is their anniversary? Holy shit, how is he going to pull it off?

“Judging by your silence, you totally forgot about our anniversary, didn’t you?” Ohm asks, irritation lacing his voice.

Luke sighs, “I’m not going to lie Ohm, I did forget, but I swear on my life, tomorrow is going to be the best anniversary we’ve ever had.”

Ohm shakes his head, “I’m just really shocked and disappointed with you Luke, never before have you _ever _forgotten our anniversary, or even anyone’s birthday. It’s just really hard to wrap my head around the past couple days. What the hell is going on with you?”

Luke sighs again, “Ohm, I don’t know. I’m just really not feeling like myself… almost like I don’t belong here, you know what I mean?”

Ohm looks at him, “Don’t feel like that, I’m sorry. You do belong here, and I want you here. The kids need you, and so do I.”

Luke smiles, “I promise Ryan, I will give you an amazing anniversary—I’ll make it up to you.” He says, taking hold of Ohm’s hand and placing a tender kiss on his knuckles.

Ohm can’t help but smile, “Fine, we’ll just have to see.”

They pull up to Ben’s Auto shop, and Ohm parks the car. After a couple of seconds of processing the memories flooding into his head, Luke finally gets the message, “Oh, right. This is my stop, huh?”

Ohm smiles and nods, “Yup, it sure is.”

Luke opens the door and gets out, telling Ohm that he loves him and waving him goodbye. Once the minivan is out of sight, he turns to face the building that he apparently works at. So, in this life, he followed his real dreams and became a mechanic, so it seems. Not only that, but now he works at his dad’s old Auto shop, which makes his heart swell with the memories that this place brings.

He walks inside, and is instantly greeted by a bunch of people. One younger guy walks by him, saying ‘morning boss!’ with a wide smile. Luke turns around and chases after the kid, starting to ask him what exactly he was supposed to do, but is cut off by the guy.

“Oh, right. Your coveralls are in your office, I made sure that they were cleaned properly this time.” he says, pointing toward the back-right corner of the shop.

Luke thanks him and walks toward where he was pointing, stopping when he sees “Luke Patterson: Chief Mechanic” on the door. It was no “Chairman”, but it still sounded pretty damn good to Luke. Ever since he was a kid, he wanted to work on cars. His dad was a mechanic as well, and taught him everything he knew about cars by the time that Luke was only fourteen years old.

However, Luke’s father really didn’t give him a choice when it came to his future career, steering him toward the biggest money-making profession he could think of—attorney.

The worst part of it all is that Luke’s father died of cancer before Luke even made it through high school, his mother having died when Luke was only twelve years old, and neither ever got to see the big success that he came to be years later. That’s the main reason that he left Thomasville in the first place, not only to leave all the bad memories behind, but also to fulfill his dad’s wishes. It sucks, but that’s life.

He slips the coveralls on over his outfit and walks out on the floor, stepping into the garage, where there are already two cars being worked on. He walks up to the closest car, where there is an employee underneath, working on the brakes.

“How’s it going down there?” Luke asks, bending over so that the man could hear him.

He hears a thud, followed by a quiet ‘shit’, then the man pops out from under the car. “Oh, hey there Luke! I wasn’t expecting to see you out here.” The man says, sitting up and reaching his hand out for Luke to take.

Luke grabs his hand, expecting a handshake, but instead is taken by surprise and almost loses his balance when the man uses him to pull himself up. Once the man is standing up on his own, Luke can see his nametag, which reads, ‘Lui’.

“Yea, I just figured I would come out and see if you guys need any help with anything.” Luke says, hoping that Lui would say that he wants help—it’s been so long since Luke had worked on a car, and frankly, he missed it… _a lot._

“Nah, I think me and Silent Droidd over there have it taken care of.” Lui says, gesturing over to the man working on the car next to him, who looks up and waves to Luke, which Luke returns. “You can go in and see if Nogla needs anything though. God knows that man needs all the help he can get.” Lui says, chuckling lightly and shaking his head.

“Alright. Any idea where he is right now?” Luke asks as casually as he can.

“Well, unless he’s slacking, he should be at the front, working the register like always, unless you asked him to do something else.” Lui says, wiping his grease-covered hands on a rag.

“Thanks a lot, Lui.” Luke says, nodding to the shorter man and walking back into the store. Lui nods back and gets back to work on the engine. Luke walks toward the front counter, where he sees a young man at the register, reading a magazine. He is dressed in coveralls like the others, but is also wearing a beanie with glasses, giving a hipster vibe.

When he walks up to him, he sees that his nametag reads ‘David’, which is not the name that Lui told him. He decides to ask the man for help finding the so-called ‘Nogla’. When he gets close enough, the man looks up and smiles at Luke.

“Hey! How’s it goin’ Luke?” he says, and Luke immediately notices that he has an accent.

“Doing good man. I do have to ask though, have you seen, uh, Nogla?” Luke asks, hoping he got the name right.

The man laughs and puts the magazine down, “Alright, Alright. I know I look different with a beard, but do ye really have to keep pretending that ye don’t know me?”

It clicks in Luke’s head, and he immediately laughs to avoid suspicion, “Yea, the beard is different, but good! You know me, I know my beards well.” Luke says, stroking his own well-kept beard.

“Oh, trust me, I know! You’re the one who told me to grow a beard in the first place! It’s a bit different to get used to, but so far, I like it.” Nogla says, scratching at his beard a bit.

The two make conversation for a little while, until a customer walks up to the counter to make a purchase. Luke dismisses himself to get to his office, saying goodbye to his goofy employee.

The day passes pretty quickly, and Luke genuinely has a good time, clicking with all the people in the store, customers and employees alike, and is almost sad to go home. The store closes down, and Luke texts Ohm, waiting for him to pick him up.

Eventually, Ohm pulls up, and Luke climbs in, greeting the kids that were sitting in the back seat. They make their way to the nearest pizza place, where they pick up two pizzas to take home.

When they get home, they all enjoy the pizza, going around the table and sharing stories from their day. They are all having a good time until Ohm speaks up.

“Ok kids, I think you need to go get your PJs on, it’s time for bed.”

The kids groan, but run up the stairs all the same, following their dad’s instruction. As soon as they are out of earshot, Ohm turns to Luke.

“Luke, I have some news for you.”

Luke pauses while biting into his pizza, releasing it from his mouth to answer, “What is it Ohm?”

Ohm shuffles a little, “You know that thing I mentioned a couple of days ago, where I talked about people wanting to tear down the museum? Well, I think they’re gonna actually do it. I overheard my boss talking to a lawyer, and from the sounds of it, I don’t think we’re gonna win this legal fight. I think… I think I’m gonna have to go job hunting soon, if the judge overrules us.”

Luke is at a loss for words. He knew that when he was looking over the case, the name Mr. Willingham sounded familiar, but he just brushed it off. Now, hearing that the museum that will be coming down is in Thomasville, he knows that Mr. Willingham is actually known locally as Charlie, whom he has known since he was a kid. It is a lot to process, knowing not only that Charlie is dead, but also that the case that he is in charge of is in place to tear down his old grandfather figure’s life’s work.

Without meaning to, he starts to tear up. Ohm notices right away, “Whoa, don’t worry babe, we’ll get through this, it’ll all be ok. Please don’t cry.”

Luke wipes his eyes, “No, it’s not that, it’s just… that place was Charlie’s passion. They can’t tear it down, no matter how much profit will come of the hotel that they are going to build.”

Ohm gives him a weird look, “How’d you know they want to build a hotel? I never told you that.”

Luke gulps, “Well, I heard about Jenkin’s Construction wanting to tear down a building and build a hotel in its place, but I had no idea it was Charlie’s museum until you said that.” he answers, only half-lying.

Ohm buys it, leaning back in his chair, “Yea, it’s crazy. Once they tear that place down, we won’t have much of the original Thomasville left, huh?”

Luke nods, “Yea, it honestly looks so different here than it did when we were young. What the hell happened?”

Before Ohm can answer, they hear a shout from the kids upstairs, signifying that they needed help getting ready for bed.

Ohm looks at Luke, “I’ve got it tonight. How about you head to bed, and I’ll be there in a sec?”

Luke nods, Ohm giving him a kiss on the cheek before heading up the stairs. Luke sits there, holding his cold pizza and contemplating everything that he just learned. If he had so easily forgotten Charlie, and his dad’s auto shop, which were both _huge _pieces of his life, what else could he have forgotten over the past ten years?

\----------=----------

The next day goes very similarly, but a lot more smoothly than the previous day. The whole family got ready and hopped in the car, following the same route as before.

They all get to their designated stops, the kids getting out first like before, then Luke getting out, saying goodbye to Ohm and giving him a kiss. He hears a wolf-whistle come from behind him, and turns to see Lui giving him a thumbs-up. Luke tells him to get lost, then turns back to Ohm. Before Ohm pulls away, he hands Luke a small, wrapped box and whishes him a ‘happy anniversary’.

Oh shit.

Luke knew he was forgetting something.

He thanks Ohm and kisses him again before Ohm pulls away, Luke waving at him until he is out of sight. He turns and runs inside the building, going immediately to his office and getting on the computer, looking for something good he can do for their anniversary.

He knows that he needs to do something amazing to get Ohm to forgive him, so he needs to think big. When he can’t find anything that fits the bill in Thomasville, he turns to the one thing that he knows best—the city. There are so many amazing restaurants there, along with so many other options he can count on to make tonight the perfect night for Ohm.

He makes some calls, making reservations for the perfect evening, then sets out to find someone to babysit while they are going to be gone.

He walks into the main lobby, heading straight to the cash register. When he reaches his destination, he finds Nogla, reading a magazine like always.

“Hey Nogla, wanna earn an easy hundred bucks?”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT WARNING. Explicit depictions of intercourse ahead folks. If you don't like it, don't read it. The story probably still makes sense if you don't read this chapter. I dunno.

\---------= Chapter 5=----------

After Work, Ohm picks him up like always, and they head home. When they get there, Luke tells Ohm to dress his best, to which Ohm responds with a look of confusion.

Eventually, they are both wearing nice button-up shirts and slacks, just waiting for Nogla to arrive, who said that he needed to get home to shower and change before taking care of the kids. Eventually, he arrives, and Luke reminds him of everything that he needs to know for while he and Ohm are gone, then guides Ohm out to the car.

He holds the minivan passenger door open, to which Ohm smiles and climbs in, Luke shutting the door after him. He gets in the driver’s seat, pulling out of the driveway and onto the road, heading straight for the city.

“Where are we going?” Ohm asks, looking at Luke expectantly.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out. It’s a surprise!”

They drive for a while, making small conversation until they arrive at their destination. Luke walks around the car and opens the door for Ohm again, then hands the keys to the valet, guiding Ohm into the restaurant.

When they walk in, and Luke gives the name for the reservation. Ohm is immediately taken by the beautiful, classy décor. “Luke, this place looks way too expensive. How the hell are we going to afford this?”

Luke smiles, “I figured, life’s short, and we only have one anniversary a year, so it’s worth it to splurge a little.”

They are guided back to their table, where they pour some wine for the two of them. The waiter stands patiently while Ohm is trying to decide, until he lets Luke know that he has no idea what any of it is.

Luke smiles at him, “It’s ok, he’ll just have what I’m having, which is a stuffed chicken marsala paired with a Pinot Grigio.”

The waiter nods and takes the menus from them, telling them that their food will be out soon, then heading into the kitchen. Luke takes the time to make sure that he says the things that he has wanted to for a while now.

“Ohm… Ryan… I know that I fucked up, but I want you to know that I truly, deeply love you. I am so sorry that I turned you down, given that we don’t have too many opportunities to do things like that anymore. I sounded and acted like a complete asshole, and I will do whatever it takes… I’ll even _beg _if I have to… for your forgiveness. I just can’t live with myself knowing that I let you down.” Luke says as genuinely as possible, just hoping that the other accepts his apology.

Ohm lets out a sigh and grabs Luke’s hand, which was resting on the table, “Of course I forgive you Toonz. I was just a little pent-up, and I took out all my anger on you. I should’ve taken your feelings into consideration as well, and respected that you just weren’t in the mood. I’m at fault too, so don’t you dare think for a second that I am even _slightly _mad at you.”

Luke can’t help the wide smile that spreads across his face from the intense joy that he feels. “Ohm, you are literally too damn cute for this world, you know that? I would do anything for you, even if only to see that amazing smile.”

Ohm smiles back, and Luke can see the love in his eyes. It’s the same look that he has given him for pretty much his whole life, but until now, he had no idea what that look really meant. If only he had known all those years ago…

Before either of them can say another word, their food comes out, and they enjoy their meal, making small talk for the remainder of their dinner. When they finish and pay the bill, Luke refusing to show Ohm the ridiculous number, the two of them stand up, and make their way through the maze of tables and chairs.

When Ohm starts to walk toward the front entrance, he is stopped by Luke’s hand grabbing on his own. Ohm turns around to see what the matter is, and is surprised when Luke pulls him toward the elevators located across from the restaurant area.

“Our next stop is upstairs.” Luke says, smiling brightly at the confused brunette.

Their elevator eventually lands on the 43rd floor, and Luke guides Ohm out of the elevator and toward a locked door. He pulls a keycard out of his pocket and opens the door, revealing the amazing room that lay behind.

Ohm is once again taken aback by the absolute beauty—there is an amazing crystal chandelier hanging above an enormous bed, all of the walls adorned with classy paintings and fixtures. At the back of the room, there is a balcony that reveals the beautiful ocean of city lights beneath them. Ohm attempts to form a statement, but all that comes out are random noises, which Luke silences with his own lips.

Luke breaks the kiss and grabs the shorter man’s face in his hands, “Ryan, I love you so much—more than you can possibly ever know. Right now, I have only one thing on my mind, and I need your permission before I lose my sanity.”

Ohm places his hands on top of Luke’s and nods, “Of course, you can ask me anything.”

Luke brushes his thumbs across Ohm’s cheeks, “Ohm… I want to make love to you.”

Ohm’s response is immediate, as he latches his lips to Luke’s and wraps his arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. They both kick off their shoes as Luke walks them backwards, gently laying Ohm down on the bed, his body resting on top of him.

When Luke was making the plan for the evening, he thought about what he could do to make it perfect, and the only thing that came to his mind was to ravish the man. He thought about what that would mean for him and Ohm in the real world, but ultimately decided that now was the time. What if Ohm didn’t want anything to do with him when he got back? What if he never had the chance to be with him ever again? It was those thoughts that pushed him to the decision that he wants to have the man that he loves now, even if it isn’t real.

He knows that he would never forgive himself if he went his whole life without at least knowing what it would be like for him and Ohm to be together, as a real couple, rather than the fantasies that he dreamt up for years.

He slowly pulls off Ohm’s shirt, exposing the slightly chubby chest and abdomen that were waiting beneath. Ohm is nowhere near as lean and built as he was when they were young, but to Luke, he is still as beautiful as ever, and maybe even more so. Luke can’t help himself when he leans down and kisses along his stomach, stopping every now and again to suck lightly on the smooth skin. All the while, he is pulling the shorter man’s pants off, stroking his hands along his thighs and calves once they are exposed.

Eventually, the man is in nothing but his black boxer briefs, his skin flushed a visibly beautiful shade of pink that has Luke’s own skin set ablaze. Luke starts to take his own clothes off, but is stopped by Ohm, who sets out to complete the task on his own.

Ohm torturously unbuttons each individual button on Luke’s shirt, which he knows is driving the taller man crazy. Once he removes the shirt, he moves onto the pants, pushing Luke away from the bed to sink to his knees in front of him. He unzips the pants and slowly slides them down, exposing Luke completely, who had decided to go commando today.

When Ohm sees this, he looks up at Luke with a sly look on his face, who blushes in response. Luke has been with dozens of people in his life, men and women alike, but has never been as nervous and flustered as he is right now.

Ohm licks the tip of Luke’s half-erect cock, making said man jolt in surprise, letting out a moan when Ohm continues to kiss along his shaft, then put the whole thing in his mouth. Before long, Luke becomes completely erect, unable to form a full, coherent thought.

Finally, he forces his mind out of the haze, remembering what he’s supposed to be doing. He pushes Ohm off of him and hauls him up, throwing him on the bed. “I thought I said I wanted to ravish _you, _not the other way around, you sly bastard.”

Ohm giggles in response, and pulls Luke in for a kiss. Luke can taste himself on the other’s tongue, which both arouses and disgusts him, but mostly he just finds incredibly sexy. He reaches down and finds the hem of Ohm’s boxers, snapping the band against his skin, resulting in the most adorable sound of shock Luke has ever heard.

He snakes his hand into the briefs, curling his fingers around the hard shaft that he finds. Ohm breaks the kiss to let out a moan. Luke can already tell that Ohm isn’t going to make it very long if he doesn’t take it slowly, so he strokes him as gently as he can, barely applying any pressure.

The teasing drives Ohm crazy, and he eventually resorts to begging, “Please Luke, I need you now!”

Luke attacks Ohms neck, speaking between nibbles, “Tell me what you need baby, I’ll give you anything.”

“Just fuck me already Luke! I need to feel you inside me!”

Luke smiles and reaches into the pocket of his pants, which are lying on the floor, and pulls out a small bottle of lube and a condom. He pops open the cap on the lube, pouring some on his fingers before circling them around Ohm’s hole.

Ohm gasps in surprise and eagerly lifts his legs, giving Luke better access to him. Luke slowly inserts a finger, surprised to find that Ohm isn’t as tight as he was expecting him to be. Luke guesses that Ohm wasn’t lying when he said that they fuck as often as they can. He inserts a second finger, going slowly so as to avoid hurting the man he loves.

He scissors his fingers, pouring more and more lube into him, making absolutely sure that Ohm is completely ready. Ohm, however, is not as patient, and encourages Luke to go faster. Listening to his lover, he inserts a third finger, stretching him a little more before pulling his fingers out and wiping the excess lube onto Ohm’s dick.

He tears open the condom and starts to put it on, until he is stopped by Ohm. “I thought I said I wanted _you _inside me, didn’t I?”

Luke blushes intensely, “You want me to…?”

Ohm grins seductively and nods, “I want everything you can give me _Toonz_.”

Luke swallows thickly, feeling hotter and more turned on than he ever had in his _entire _life. He pours some more lube onto himself, then positions the head of his cock at Ohm’s entrance. He looks Ohm in the eyes, silently asking for permission, to which Ohm replies by saying ‘I’m ready’.

Luke slowly pushes inside, overwhelmed by the tight, wet heat that surrounds his dick. In no time at all, he bottoms out, both of them moaning at the intense physical and emotional feelings that wash over them.

The taller man pulls out almost completely, then pushes back in with a wet squelch. He begins a slow but satisfying pace that has them both groaning in pleasure. Eventually, Luke picks up the pace, bouncing the man back and forth while he lays on his back. Ohm pulls Luke in for a kiss, who happily participates, his tongue sliding across his husband’s.

His _husband_

Luke tears up at the thought. Between the immense pleasure that he is feeling, rocking in and out of Ohm, and the intense love that he feels for him, he nearly bursts with happiness. A tear slides down his cheek without his permission, and Ohm immediately wipes it away, a worried look filling his face.

“Luke, what’s wrong? Do you want to stop?” Ohm says, stroking the other’s face with his hand.

Luke shakes his head and lets out a choked chuckle, “Hell no. I just… I’m so goddam lucky. How the hell did I end up with someone as perfect as you?”

Ohm smiles, a tear sliding down his own cheek as well, “No, I should be the one asking that Luke.”

Luke smiles back, then leans down to kiss Ohm more deeply and tenderly than he ever had. Ohm returns the kiss, and Luke can still feel the smile on his lips.

Luke resumes his thrusting, and Ohm cries out in pleasure as Luke hits his prostate. Luke thrusts there with a new-found enthusiasm, wanting so badly to see the man he loves fall apart underneath him. Simultaneously, he reaches his hand down and grasps Ohm’s dick in his hand, pumping it with expertise.

It all becomes too much for Ohm, and he throws his head back with a scream of pleasure, coating himself and Luke in white. He clenches impossibly tighter around Luke, who was already on the edge. The feeling pushes him over, and he thrusts in as deep as he can before spilling inside the quivering body beneath him.

Luke collapses on top of Ohm, who grunts in response, playfully shoving at Luke. Luke laughs and pulls out, rolling onto his side next to Ohm and laying his arm across said man’s chest. They are both panting for air, but that doesn’t stop Ohm from rolling onto his side to kiss Luke deeply.

When they pull away, Luke can’t help but sigh, “Goddam, I just love you so much.”

Ohm smiles through droopy, sated eyes, “I love you too, you big sap.”

Luke pulls the covers up over them, and they lay there for a while, just enjoying the warmth of each other, until Luke starts kissing Ohm’s neck. Eventually, Luke feels something poking at his leg, so he reaches down, grasping it tightly.

“Your little friend is disturbing our cuddling session, _Ohm._”

Ohm blushes, and Luke reaches around the other to prod at his still-wet entrance. When he sticks two fingers inside, he can feel his cum still coating the walls, and proceeds to scissor his fingers around, producing wet, squishing sounds that captures both of their attentions.

Luke grins, “Ready for another round?”

Ohm grins back, “I believe I am, but this time, _I’m _going to make love to _you._”

Normally, Luke would be against being the bottom, but right now, he is more eager than he probably should be.

“Sounds like a plan to me big guy.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke finally learns his lesson

\--------= Chapter 6=--------

The rest of their anniversary night went by in a similar fashion, neither of them getting very much sleep, rather, using their bed for more important things. The next couple of days go by very smoothly, Luke almost forgetting that he is in a different universe entirely. Every day, he gets closer and closer to his kids, and every day, he learns more and more about his life and the people in it.

Today starts out like any other—everyone getting ready then piling into the car, heading to school and work. When Ohm drops Luke off, he pulls him in for an extra-big kiss today, which Luke happily accepts. He walks into the auto shop when Ohm pulls away, greeting everyone with a genuine smile.

He makes his way to his office, where he takes a seat and goes through his mail, taking care of bills and payments. About half an hour later, he hears knocking on his door, and looks up to see Lui.

“Hey boss, you know how you told us to tell you whenever there is a nice car that comes in, so you can work on it yourself?”

Luke nods, thinking that that is definitely something he would say, and Lui continues, “Well, we have a _really _nice one today, that I think you’ll definitely want to see.”

Luke is intrigued, so he gets up and follows Lui to the garage, “What are we talkin’ here Lui? How nice is this one?”

Lui grins back at him, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

When they walk into the garage, Luke’s eyes are immediately drawn to the car parked in the back.

It’s a Lamborghini Aventador, similar to the one he has, or had.

He walks up to the car, and is even more stunned when he sees who is driving it.

“Evan Fong? Is that you?” Luke says, a smile on his face, until he sees the confusion on the man’s face and remembers that Evan has no clue who he is.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Evan says, folding his sunglasses.

“Uh, no, you don’t. I know it sounds creepy, but I know everything about Banana Bus Law Firm. You guys are the best!”

Evan quirks his eyebrow, “Oh really? You know everything you say?”

Luke smiles, “Yes sir! I’ve followed every legal case your company has settled since 2011”

They proceed to talk about the company, as well as other law situations while Luke sets about fixing the engine. Evan is impressed by the knowledge that the mechanic has, and wonders why he ended up here instead of a law firm.

“So, now I know that you’ve got a surprising amount of knowledge on the subject of law, so what do you know about cars? Why are you a mechanic, when you could clearly become an attorney? Hell, even I would hire someone with your vast knowledge.” Evan says, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

“I might know a fair bit about law, but cars are my passion. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to do this kind of stuff. In fact, this shop used to be my dad’s, who taught me everything I know about cars by the time I was fourteen.”

Evan folds his arms and nods, “That’s rather impressive. So, you think you can handle fixing this thing?”

“Oh, hell yea. This baby right here,” Luke gestures to the car, “I know all about her. I’ve worked on a similar one many times in my life, so I know her in’s and out’s pretty damn well.”

They continue to talk for a while, filling the whole time with chatter up until Luke has finished the engine. When he starts the car, it purrs into existence, and Luke realizes how much he missed the beautiful sound.

Luke talks to Evan about payment, who tells him to bill his office, which Luke already knows well. Evan climbs into his car and slips his aviators back on, getting ready for the half-hour trip ahead of him. Luke turns to walk away, bidding his boss farewell, but is stopped by his voice.

“Hold on one second Luke. I know it sounds like you have your whole life figured out already, but I would honestly love to have you come into my office, where we can talk a bit about business. If things go well, you might even find yourself with a job at Banana Bus. Why don’t you give me a call later, and we can set up a time?” Evan says, handing Luke one of his business cards.

Luke is absolutely beaming, “A-absolutely sir! Thank you so much!”

Evan nods at him and pulls out of the garage, the engine of his Lamborghini roaring as it flies down the quiet street. When he is out of sight, Luke lets all his emotions flood his mind.

He can get his job back! With his job at Banana Bus, he can have the best of both worlds! He gets to have his dream family, along with his massive money-making job! He can’t wait to get home and tell Ohm the good news.

\---------=---------

When Ohm picks him up that night, he notes that Luke is a lot happier than he has been in a long time after a full day of work, and asks him what is up. Luke tells him that he’ll let him know later that night, so Ohm drops the subject for the time being.

After they eat and the kids are getting ready for bed, Luke can’t contain himself any longer, and decides to let the cat out of the bag.

“So, the craziest thing happened today. You know Banana Bus Law Firm?”

Ohm nods, “Yea, the ones who want to help Jenkins Construction tear down Charlie’s museum?”

Luke sighs, “Yes, them. Anyways, the CEO came in because his Lamborghini broke down, and we hit it off really well! He told me that he was impressed by my knowledge of law, and pretty much offered me a job at Banana Bus! He even gave me his card, look!”

Luke pulls the card out of his pocket and shows it to Ohm, who takes it and looks it over with an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment of silence, Luke can’t take the suspense any longer and asks him what he’s thinking.

“Luke… this is amazing, but I honestly don’t think you should do it.”

Luke is taken aback, at a loss for words for a few moments until he gathers his thoughts, “W-what do you mean?”

“I mean that the Banana Bus isn’t a place that I can see you being happy, is all. Ever since we were kids, you’ve wanted nothing more than to work on cars, do you not want to do that anymore?”

Luke shakes his head, “No, it’s not that, it’s just… think of how much money I could be making with this job! We would never have to worry about money ever again—we could have a better life!”

Ohm puts his hand on Luke’s cheek, “Well, if that’s what you really want to do, then we’ll find a way to make it work, just so long as you are happy. I know that our lives aren’t perfect, but with you and the kids, I feel like mine is pretty damn close. I don’t need anything else but you guys to be happy.”

Luke feels his heart swell at the sentiment. In this moment, he feels like he finally understands what happiness is—it’s not something you can buy, or what money can give you, it’s what you get from being with the people you love.

Luke smiles fondly at his husband, and pulls him in for a kiss. When they break apart, Luke looks into Ohm’s eyes, feeling himself get more and more lost in them as the time ticks away. “Ryan, you’re right. We don’t need anything but what we already have to be happy. Thank you so much for helping me learn that.”

Luke kisses him again, then heads up the stairs to help the kids get to bed. He makes sure that they are brushing their teeth well, then playfully chases them into their room, tickling them once they get in their beds.

He kisses both of them on the foreheads and pull their covers up, but the words that leave April’s mouth make him stop dead in his tracks.

“Welcome back daddy.”

Luke feels tears well up in his eyes. So, this is what it feels like to be a good dad—the dad that they knew and loved. Throughout his whole life, Luke has had nothing but negative feelings towards children, but after having his own, if only for a little while, he knows exactly what Delirious was talking about that one day. Even though they demand more than what you can possibly give them, you want nothing more than to give them your all. They take everything they can get their hands on, including your heart and every ounce of your love.

Before leaving, he shuts the lights off and winks at his daughter, then tells them goodnight. As he leaves the room, he can hear Nick and April talk about how much they missed daddy, and how happy they are that he’s finally back, and that fake meanie is gone.

Luke laughs and walks down the stairs, greeted by the sight of Ohm cleaning up the kitchen. Luke sneaks up behind him and hugs him, kissing him tenderly on the neck. Ohm leans into him and puts his hands over Luke’s and humming in delight. Eventually, he pulls away and tells Luke to take the trash out to the can.

Luke complies, grabbing the bag from Ohm and walking out into their garage. He tosses the bag into the can, then turns around, not prepared for the sight that is waiting for him.

Bryce’s Lamborghini.

A feeling of dread washes over Luke at the thought of leaving this life. “Bryce, I know you’re there. Please, I beg you, do _not _take me back! I know I said I wanted to go back before, but I’ve changed!” he pauses, feeling tears flow down his cheeks, “I finally know what it means to love, so please, don’t take this away from me! I’ll do anything it takes, just please, let me stay!”

Darkness overtakes him, and a familiar noise fills his senses.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last official chapter, but there will be an epilogue after. Luke comes back to his previous life, and decides to make some particular changes to his bachelor lifestyle that he was living before.

\--------= Chapter 7 =--------

Luke wakes up with tear-stained cheeks. He sits up hurriedly, taking in his surroundings.

He’s in his bed.

In his apartment.

In Greensboro.

A wave of sadness crashes over him at the thought of losing Ohm and the kids. When he looks at his phone, he sees that it is November 4th, which means that no time has passed since the last time he was in this life. Was it all a dream? Did it actually happen, or did he accidently get high on some shit last night?

Whatever the case, Luke knows exactly what he has to do.

He spends the whole day and the next day working on the lawsuit that he was assigned a week ago, preparing for the trial that was to happen on November 6th.

\---------=---------

By the time that the hearing arrives, Luke feels nervous, which is not something he _ever_ feels when going to court. He waits for everyone to arrive, gathering his notes and documents before the hearing begins.

Eventually, Evan walks in with Brian, the head of Jenkins Construction, and no less than a minute later, Elizabeth Jones, the current owner of the museum, walks in, taking her seat at the stand. Luke hasn’t seen her since he was a kid, which she was too at the time, and barely recognizes her now.

About ten minutes later, the courtroom is ordered to stand, and the judge walks in, taking his seat and allowing the congregation to take theirs.

The hearing goes quickly, the opposition presenting their case first, talking about the dream that Elizabeth’s father had, and the joy that the museum brought to the town of Thomasville. They then state the statistical analysis, which projects the amount of income and jobs that the museum has made, and is currently making.

It was a very solid case, but Luke knew that there was no way that they would win. That is, unless something major were to happen…

Luke is told that it is his time to present his case, so he stands up and approaches Elizabeth and her attorney.

“I don’t know if you remember me Elizabeth, but we knew each other when we were kids, and your father was like the grandfather I never had. That museum was one of the best parts of my childhood—so many of the memories of my friends and family including that beautiful building. However, we at the Banana Bus have discovered some incriminating information about your building.”

Luke pauses when he sees the panic fill Elizabeth’s eyes, then continues, “I wouldn’t worry too much though. You see, the evidence that has been dug up about you has been falsified.” The whole courtroom gasps, and Luke makes eye contact with Evan and Delirious, who both have looks of confusion on their faces.

I noticed it a while ago when I was putting all of my notes together. My first thought was to forget about it and take the $14.6 million that we were promised, but there was something holding me back—it was your dad, Charlie. I remembered all the times that he was there for me, and I just couldn’t bring myself to go against everything he taught me and lie to make a profit, all the while destroying his very own masterpiece. It was like a double whammy, and it hurt twice as much to even think of doing it.” he winks at Elizabeth, then looks back to the judge, “That’s all your honor.”

Luke walks back to his table, taking a seat and gathering his things. He feels a hand clamp on his shoulder, and when he turns, he sees a seething Brian glaring daggers at him.

“How the hell could you do that to me? I was ready to make you rich, and you blew it all so that a few idiots can enjoy a dusty old museum. It took a lot of resources to falsify those documents, and you fucking ruined it all! I thought you had what it takes, I thought you wanted to be rich!”

Luke smiles at him, “You know, you don’t have to have money to be rich. Once you learn that lesson, you’ll come to find that that little museum makes that town richer than your hotel ever could.”

The look that Brian gives him is one of pure, seething hatred, but Luke chooses to ignore it. The hearing continues for hours, and ultimately, the judge declares that the opposition wins, and that the museum is there to stay.

Luke hurries to clear the courtroom before he is lectured or shot, but is pulled aside once he gets out the doors. When Luke looks to see who it is, he is surprised to find that it is Evan and Delirious.

Evan clears his throat before speaking, “Luke, I’m really proud of you. I had no idea that those documents were falsified, and only a keen eye like your own could’ve caught it. We might’ve lost a lot of money today, but I feel like we gained a lot more. I just hope the press sees it that way.” Evan and Luke chuckle, and Evan continues, “I really respect your integrity Luke. I’ve been looking for someone to be chairman for a while, and I think I found the perfect candidate. The position is yours, if you want it.” he says, Delirious giving him a thumbs-up.

Luke feels both ecstatic and despondent at the same time. This is the promotion of a lifetime—one that he’s been relentlessly waiting and working for, but at the same time, it just doesn’t feel right. After a moment of consideration, he gives his answer.

“Evan, it’s amazing that you think I’m qualified enough for the position, and I am honored… but I cannot accept.”

Both Evan and Delirious give him looks of shock, glancing at each other in confusion. Luke continues, “I had a revelation a couple nights ago, where I learned what true happiness is. It’s being with the ones you love, doing the things you love. And this,” Luke gestures to the room around them, “is not what I love. I might be good at it, but law is not my passion. Therefore, I hereby resign from Banana Bus.”

This time, Evan and Delirious both let out an audible gasp, and Delirious speaks up, “Luke, you can’t leave! What about everything you’ve worked for? You and I went to law school for eight years so that you could just quit just when you’re about to reach the top? You continue to be a mystery to me Luke.”

Luke laughs, “Yea, I mystify myself too. The old me, even from a couple days ago, would beat the absolute shit out of me for doing the things that I’ve done today.” The three of them all nod in agreement, and Luke speaks up, “Oh Evan, one more thing. I know exactly who you need for the chairman position.”

Evan perks up, “Oh yea? Who?”

Luke puts his arm around Jonathan’s shoulders, “This maniac right here. He’s been by side this whole time, and I can honestly say that he fits the bill perfectly.”

Delirious looks at his friends with wide, emotional, yet grateful, eyes. “Luke, you mean you’re really leaving? What the hell am I gonna do without you?”

Luke chuckles, small tears forming in his eyes, “Oh come on Delirious, you know you don’t need me around to be an amazing chairman. And besides, we’ll still stay friends and hang out all the time, yea?”

Delirious smiles and hugs him, “Hell yea! I’m gonna bug you so much, you’re gonna wish you never knew me! No way you’re getting off the hook easy!”

Luke hugs him back and ruffles his hair. Delirious is like the little brother he never had, and it would truly crush him to have him out of his life forever. There’s no way in hell he would do the same thing that he did to Ohm and just neglect the poor guy. Plus, even if he wanted to, he knows that Delirious would _never _let that happen.

Evan decides to speak up, “Well, it really sucks to see you go Luke, but if that’s really what you feel is best for you, then I can’t stop you. I sincerely thank you for all the service you’ve done for me and my shitty firm. There’s gonna be an unfillable void there until that damned building burns to the ground.” Evan hugs Luke, much to both his and Jonathan’s surprise.

“Thank you, sir, that really means a lot to me.” Luke says, trying to blink back his tears, “It was truly an honor, gentlemen. I’ll have my things cleaned out by tomorrow, and all the paperwork will be taken care of.”

He gives one final handshake to Evan and Jonathan, then walks out the courtroom doors, feeling a sense of freedom overcome him.

\--------=--------

The next day, he goes into the office one final time to clear out all of his things.

When he finishes hauling his things out to his car, he asks Tyler to take him home, giving one last glance backwards at his former paradise, which turned into his prison. Once he gets home, he tells Tyler that he no longer had a job, and therefore didn’t need him to drive for him anymore.

At first, Tyler is taken aback, but eventually accepts the news with a heavy heart. They talk for a while about how they have enjoyed each other’s company, but eventually Tyler has to go, wishing Luke good luck and giving him a hug before driving away.

Luke hauls his things to his apartment, dropping everything on the floor, then immediately getting on the computer. Now that the hearing was taken care of, he could focus on what was most important to him.

Finding Ohm.

He searches Ryan’s name, finding that he is currently working at a major accounting and finance firm right here in Greensboro, his building only about ten blocks from Luke’s apartment. After checking that they were still within business hours, Luke immediately slips on his shoes and runs out the door and toward the business building without hesitation.

The walk takes him about thirteen minutes, which gives him plenty of time to think about what he is going to say and do when he sees Ohm. That is, if he is even able to find Ohm. For all he knows, there could be hundreds of ‘Ryan Wrecker’s out there.

He enters the building and gets in the elevator, going to the fourteenth floor like the website said. Once he reaches the floor, he approaches the front desk, and attempts to talk through his chattering teeth. In his big hurry to get out the door, he forgot to grab a coat, which he is paying the price for now.

“Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Wrecker. Is he in right now?” Luke asks, rubbing his hands together.

“Let me see.” The woman says, picking up her phone. After a couple moments of silence, she speaks again, “I’m sorry sir, it appears that Mr. Wrecker is currently in the process of moving departments, and is unavailable.”

Luke is filled with worry, “Do you know where his new department is located?”

“According to the recorded message he left, the company just purchased a sector in Switzerland, and he is heading over there to become head of the division.” The woman says, “I’m sorry sir. Is there a message that you would like me to convey to him?”

Luke can’t even think straight, he is so upset. Not only sad that his chance is gone forever, but mad at himself for not coming sooner. “No, that’s ok. Thank you for your help.” He says, his head hanging low. He doesn’t even wait for the woman to respond before he is dragging his feet to the elevator, pushing the button and stepping inside once it arrives.

Before the doors close completely, Luke hears someone yell “Hold the elevator!”, so he sticks his arms between the doors, effectively stopping them from closing. A man rushes in, holding a stack of boxes in his arms, and thanks Luke, setting the boxes down to check his phone.

When the boxes are moved from in front of his face, Luke finally gets a good look at the man. His heart stops when he realizes who it is.

“Ohm.” Luke whispers, making the other stop his typing mid-sentence and look up at him. When their eyes meet, smiles slowly spread across both of their faces.

“Holy shit, is that really you Toonz?” Ohm says, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“Yea it’s me! Is that really you?” Luke answers, his smile getting bigger with each passing second.

“Yea, it’s really me.” A moment of silence passes between them before Ohm holds his hand out for a handshake.

Luke shakes his head and swats the other’s hand away, pulling him in for a hug instead. “You think that after not seeing each other for ten years, I would accept anything less than a hug from my best friend?” Luke says, squeezing Ohm tightly.

After a couple of seconds, Ohm gives in and hugs Luke back, laughing at the shock of seeing his best friend again after all this time, in an elevator of all places.

“I thought you were in Switzerland?” Luke says, pulling back from the hug and helping Ohm carry some boxes once the elevator opens on the first floor.

“I will be by tomorrow. I have to catch my flight later tonight, then I’m out of the states for at least fifteen years, pretty much rebuilding a company in another country.”

Luke is shocked, is this what Bryce meant when he said that he needed to learn his lesson ‘before it’s too late’? He knows that he needs to work fast, or else Ohm will be out of his life forever.

“Ohm, I know you’re probably super busy right now, but I’d love to get a coffee with you and talk for a few minutes, if that’s ok with you?” he says, pleading in his voice.

Ohm looks at his watch and lets out a ‘tsk’, “Alright, but just a few minutes, ok?”

Luke feels ecstatic, “Yea, of course!”

They walk about a block before they get to a small coffee shop on a corner. They go in and order some drinks, sitting down next to each other at a small table. They make some small talk for a couple minutes, just talking about what they’ve been doing since they last saw each other.

It’s only when Luke mentions that day at the airport that Ohm starts to get anxious.

“Can you believe that the day you left was exactly ten years ago today? I’ve really missed you man—I wish we would’ve stayed in contact all this time, y’know?” Luke says, spinning his coffee cup on the table.

Ohm takes a sip of his drink, then looks at his watch. “Crap, I should probably get going. It was great talking with you though Luke.”

He is stopped by a hand on his wrist, “Please don’t go Ohm. I need you in my life—I always have! What happened to that promise to stay in touch? Why did you never come back to visit? I waited for you for a year, but I knew it was hopeless when you didn’t say a word to me. What happened Ohm? did I do something wrong?”

Ohm sits back down and slowly turns to look at Luke, “Fine, I’m probably never going to see you again, so I might as well tell you the truth.” He pauses, putting his hands on the table in front of him. “I never came back because I knew I couldn’t be around someone that I loved deeply, yet knew I could never be with at the same time. It was painful enough to think about you, let alone be around you. That’s why I left in the first place—because I love you, ok?”

Luke is at a loss for words, and Ohm breaks the silence, “I’m sorry Luke. I ruined everything—I know that. I didn’t say anything because I knew this would happen. I knew that you would hate me, and I would lose you forever. So, now that the damage is done, I’ll just be on my way.” Ohm says, grabbing his phone and standing up once again.

Luke calls his name, and Ohm turns around, shocked to find the soft lips of his best friend pressed against his own. Once Ohm overcomes the initial shock, he melts into the kiss, hoping this isn’t another one of his dreams that have him waking up crying and alone. He can’t help but smile when the other doesn’t disappear, confirming that this really is actually happening in real life.

Luke breaks the kiss slowly, smiling at the way that Ohm blinks his eyes open, smiling back at him once their eyes meet. “I should’ve done that ten years ago, but I was afraid, just like you Ohm. I was afraid that you wouldn’t love me back. If only we had just talked to one another, huh?”

Ohm laughs and pulls Luke back in for another kiss. They stay there late into the night, Ohm missing his flight, and subsequently quitting his job the next day when the firm refuses to give him a job within Greensboro.

They stay at the coffee shop, refreshing their coffee and chatting until the shop closes, then make their way back to Luke’s apartment, where they continue their conversation.

As they walk out the door, a young man watches with a content smile on his face and joy in his eyes. He takes a sip of his coffee before whispering to himself, “Bryce, you’ve done it again.”, following his statement with a self-high-five, then disappearing with a poof.

THE END


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little snippet about how the kids are brought back into their lives. This isn't super important, but I thought it might be a good idea to include this, just in case you guys wondered about April and Nick.

**Three years later**

After that day, Luke and Ryan got married and settled down in a home nestled in the town of Thomasville. They both got jobs that they always wanted, Luke taking the reins at his dad’s auto shop, and Ohm taking a job at the museum, where he and Luke have countless memories from their childhood.

Today is a big day for the couple, probably the biggest day since they got married. After being married for nearly two years, they decided that they wanted to have a family, so here they are, waiting for the kids that they have been fighting for to officially become theirs. Luke had searched for April and Nick, and by some strange miracle, he found them, still not adopted at their original orphanage.

It was almost as if destiny wanted them to be a family.

As in all adoption cases, the process was tedious and thorough, but Ohm and Luke kept the hope. Today, all their patience is about to pay off.

Luke feels tears fill his eyes when he hears the familiar voices and the little faces of his children come into view. Luke and Ohm drop to their knees, giving them better access to the twins when they run at them for a group hug.

Luke knows how lucky he is in this moment, having his whole family together for real. The whole time that he worked at Banana Bus, he never had any feelings as strong as the ones he is feeling now.

He wishes that Bryce was real, and that he could meet him in person, if only to thank him for the opportunity that he gave him—letting him see what his life _could_ be, and now _is. _

The newly formed family piles into the car, taking what little possessions the kids have, and heading home. When they pull up to the house, the twins shout with excitement, running to the front door. Luke hurries to catch up and unlock the front door, holding it open for the two little angels.

“Thanks, fake daddy.” April says, turning to wink at her new dad then running up the stairs to her and her brother’s new room.

Luke is flabbergasted—maybe it wasn’t a dream after all.


End file.
